


That Quiet Voice

by ApolloAttraction



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Cartoon Physics, Depression, Gen, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloAttraction/pseuds/ApolloAttraction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy jumps off a building, but he doesn't actually want to die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Quiet Voice

Hit the ground running.

That’s the thought in his head as he runs toward the edge of the building and jumps. He’s plummeting, down and down and down at a rapid 9.8 meters per second squared- a number that he refused to memorize in school but could somehow recall now as he plunged from the rooftop of a three story building.

_Hit the ground running._ He thinks to himself again, heart hammering against his chest as the ground gets closer and closer. If anyone can survive a fall like this by simply running then it’s going to him. He’s a grade A speedster; second only to Quicksilver (though he wouldn’t admit that aloud to anyone, ever.) Being fast is the one thing he’s ever excelled in and by God it’s going to save his life right now because he knows that he can do this.

_Do you really want to, though?_ A quiet voice in the back of his head chimes in and he pushes it aside. He refuses to listen to it- that had been how he wound up with this dumb idea in the first place and, contrary to what the quiet little voice in his head may think at 3a.m. in the morning, he doesn’t _want_ to die.

He’s almost there. He can nearly smell the asphalt below. _Do you really want to keep going?_ It’s the little voice again and this time it brings along anxious thoughts and unneeded memories. _Would they miss you? Would they notice?_ Everyone was so caught up with Billy and his depression right now that he doubts they’ll notice for at least a couple of days. As for being missed… he doesn’t know. Wanda, maybe?

He pulls himself out of his thoughts just as he’s within hitting range and starts to move his feet. The air whirls around him until he makes contact with the pavement. It feels like his own body is going to squish down on him like something out of a _Roadrunner_ cartoon at first, but as he propels himself forward the downward inertia dissipates and he’s left standing at the other end of town before he knows it. He turns and looks back where he came from before taking off towards the building he’d leaped from.

As he runs he notices a sharp pain in his ankle. He stoops to investigate it once he’s back where he started and comes to the conclusion that it’s sprained. As he stands back up and looks at the building he starts to laugh. He jumped off a three story building and _sprained his ankle._ Who else on the planet could do that? _How about Quicksilver, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, anyone that can fly. They probably wouldn’t have sprained their ankle at all, though._ The little voice squawks; he’s not allowed to think anything good about himself, apparently. Usually this is where he’d pull on a shit-eating grin and explain to others how he couldn’t even be compared to those people, but there was no one around but himself.

The adrenaline from the jump was wearing off and he felt the same aching numbness that had driven him there to begin with. He heads back to the Kaplans’ home and takes the fire escape up to the room he shares with Teddy. The blond had been gone when he’d left, but is there when he returns.

“Welcome back,” Teddy says as soon as Tommy’s through the window. The speedster gives a noncommittal wave and flops onto his bed. “What are you doing when you sneak out?”

“Jumping off buildings,” He replies with a lazy grin. The best lie is always the truth.

“No, really,” Teddy persists. “You’re gone basically every night; where to?”

Tommy rolls his eyes. “Just doing the usual: fighting crime, stealing hearts, running across the entire world in less than five minutes.” His ankle throbs.

“Sure,” Teddy replies, sounding a bit annoyed.

“I’d tell you more about my amazing adventures, but I need to catch some shut eye.” Tommy turns his back on Teddy and pulls the covers up to his shoulders, effectively ending the conversation. Before he closes his eyes, he wishes- for just a split second- that Teddy had believed him about what he’d been doing.


End file.
